Sunday, 26 November 2017

I have just discovered T.E Lawrence once worked in my home town of Northwich

One of the most enigmatic figures of the 20th century he was Lawrence of Arabia.

A man whose life and death was shrouded in mystery.

His real name was Thomas Edward Lawrence a British soldier who found everlasting fame through organising an Arab revolt against the Turks during the First World War.

Lawrence turned up in Northwich... a visit that that created quite a stir even though it was supposed to be a well guarded secret. He arrived under the name of Aircraftman T.E Shaw one of three representatives of the Air Ministry who were there to supervise trials of the Royal Air Force Auxiliary "Aquarius" built at Yarwoods dockyard in Navigation Road.

He stayed for three weeks in the Crown and Anchor Hotel in the High Street.

He was a slightly built man in civilian clothes in height about 5ft- 6ins tall and I believe he weighed just over seven stones.
The local press did get hold of the story but not until he had left town.

I have visited his home in Dorset... Clouds Hill and his final resting place at Morten.